It’s hot and my brain is mush, so I decided to do something that wasn’t too taxing. Take a look at these Old West quotes and tell us who said it best or which quote is your favorite.
- “A pair of six-shooters beats a pair of sixes.” —Belle Starr
“Never run a bluff with a six-gun.” – Bat Masterson
Belle or Bat?
- “I never hanged a man that didn’t deserve it.” Judge Parker’s hangman
“I never killed unless I was compelled to.” –Belle Starr
Belle or George?
- “You all can go to hell. I am going to Texas.” — Davy Crockett
“Leave me alone and let me go to hell by my own route.” –Calamity Jane
Davy or Calamity Jane?
- Aim at a high mark and you will hit it.” Annie Oakley
Shoot first and never miss. –Bat Masterson
Annie or Bat?
- “The grimly humorous phrase about our town was that Tombstone had ‘a man for breakfast every morning.’” — Josephine Sarah Marcus
“Tombstone is a city set upon a hill, promising to vie with ancient Rome in fame, different in character but no less important.” —John C
Josephine or John?
- “I have no more stomach for it.” – Tom Horn, resigning as a lawman
“At my age I suppose I should be knitting.” — Poker Alice
Tom or Alice?
- “For my handling of the situation at Tombstone I have no regrets. Were it to be done again, I would do it exactly as I did it at the time.”—Wyatt Earp
“I do not regret one moment of my life.” —Lillie Langtry
Wyatt or Lillie?
- “After being so bad I could hear the angels singing.” —Lillie Langtry
”People thought me bad before, but if ever I should get free, I’ll let them know what bad means.”-Billy the Kid
Lillie or Billy?
9. “Talk low, talk slow and don’t say too much.” – John Wayne
“Never miss a good chance to shut up.~ Judge Roy Bean
John or Judge Roy?
New from Margaret Brownley!
Cowboy Charm School
When buying a horse don’t consult a pedestrian;
When courting a woman don’t ask advice of a bachelor.
Margaret has published more than 46 books and is a N.Y. Times Bestselling author and two-time Romance Writers of America Rita Finalist. She writes historical novels set--where else?--in the Old West! She has written for a day time soap and is currently working on a new series. Not bad for someone who flunked 8th grade English. Just don't ask her to diagram a sentence.
I really shouldn’t say this, but my husband needs to take this advice lately.
“Never miss a good chance to shut up.~ Judge Roy Bean
Janine, thank you for a much needed laugh!
You’re very welcome! Hehe…..
“Never miss a good chance to shut up” should be a motto for a whole slew of people!! For number 2 I like the hangman’s best. I also love Davy’s in number 3. What a great collection!
Hi Susan, I guess some things never change. Judge Roy Bean’s advice is as good now as it was back then. Maybe even more so!
“Never miss a good chance to shut up” would be my favorite too. 🙂
Other cowboy proverbs I like are:
Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction.
Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.
You can’t keep trouble from visitin’, but you don’t have to offer it a chair.
When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back in your pocket.
Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.
If you climb in the saddle, be ready for the ride.
When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
Always drink upstream from your cattle.
When you find yourself in a hole, stop diggin’.
He’s all hat and no cattle.
It’s hard to put a foot in a closed mouth.
Sometimes you get and sometimes you get got.
No matter where you go, there you are.
Hi Eliza, those certainly are words to live by! Thank you for sharing.
What a fun read. #9. is my favorite. Judge Roy, “Never miss a good chance to shut up.” Good advice any time period. I also like #3. Davy Crockett, “You all can go to he’ll. I am going to Texas.” I am a native Texan. I am a bit more inclined to like this one.
Thanks for the share.
Hi Jerri, those are my favorites, too! And I’m not even from Texas.
Oh Margaret, these are so fun! Thanks for putting a much needed smile on my face this morning.
My pleasure, Winnie! Take care.
They’re all so wonderful! Belle Starr was a colorful woman, wasn’t she?
Hi Jeannie, I agree. They don’t come more colorful than Belle Starr.
Love this, my favorite was:
“You all can go to hell. I am going to Texas.” — Davy Crockett
I still love Will Rogers “I never met a man, I didn’t like!”
Hi Tonya, yes, those are great. I wonder if Will ever changed his mind after that first meeting.
A lot of good sayings here! 1. either but never bluffing when you pull your gun is ideal. 2. The Judge and hopefully he was correct. 3. Davey Crockett and my fav on the whole list. 4. Bat because its the truth of the matter. 5. Josephine’s 6. Poker Alice because I’ve never been one to act my age either. 7. L.L. because we should not have regrets- surely we at least learned from anything that ended up a mistake. 8. Billy of course… 9. Both great again but I’ll go with John Wayne its amother good rule to live by. 10. Never get woman advice from a bachelor-that should be a given.
Great blog!
Stephanie, I love your choices (especially #10, which starts my new book!). So glad to “meet” someone who doesn’t act her age. We have that in common!
Thank you for the quotes. Many are good for a laugh to finish the day. Some give good insight into the individuals who made them.
Hope you are keeping cool.
Thank you, Patricia. Trying to stay cool. God help my electric bill! The thing I love about quotes is how they characterize the individuals.
I love Judge Roy Bean’s and Davey Crockett’s. #3 & 9. I’d love to have a framed Sampler of both . lol
Hi Carol, hmm. Now there’s a thought. I wouldn’t mind hangin #9 on my wall. LOL
I like the women’s sayings the best. These were good thanks
Hi Debra, those women were really something, weren’t they?
Margaret, Thank you for the fun post!
You’re welcome, Caryl!